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Chapter 5: Project Scope Management - Coggle Diagram
Chapter 5: Project Scope Management
Project Scope Management
Scope refers to all the work involved in creating the products of the project and the processes used to create them
Project scope management includes the processes involved in defining and controlling what is or is not included in a project
Project Scope Management Processes
Planning scope: determining how the project’s scope
and requirements will be managed
Collecting requirements: defining and documenting the features and functions of the products produced during the project
as well as the processes used for creating them
Defining scope: reviewing the project charter, requirements documents, and organizational process assets to create a scope statement
Creating the WBS: subdividing the major project deliverables into smaller, more manageable components
Validating scope: formalizing acceptance of the project deliverables
Controlling scope: controlling changes to project scope throughout the life of the project
Advice for Creating a WBS and WBS Dictionary
A unit of work should appear at only one place in the WBS.
The work content of a WBS item is the sum of the WBS items below it
A WBS item is the responsibility of only one individual, even though many people may be working on it
The WBS must be consistent with the way in which work is actually going to be performed; it should serve the project team first, and other purposes only if practical
Project team members should be involved in developing the WBS to ensure consistency and buy-in
Each WBS item must be documented in a WBS dictionary to ensure accurate understanding of the scope of work included and not included in that item
The WBS must be a flexible tool to accommodate inevitable changes while properly maintaining control of the work content in the project according to the scope statement
Scope Management Plan Contents
How to prepare a detailed project scope statement
How to create a WBS
How to maintain and approve the WBS
How to obtain formal acceptance of the completed project deliverables
How to control requests for changes to the project scope
Requirements Management Plan
The requirements management plan documents how project requirements will be analyzed, documented, and managed
Collecting Requirements
For some IT projects, it is helpful to divide requirements development into categories called elicitation, analysis, specification, and validation
It is important to use an iterative approach to defining requirements since they are often unclear early in a project
Methods for Collecting Requirements
Interviewing
Focus groups and facilitated workshops
Using group creativity and decision-making techniques
Questionnaires and surveys
Observation
Prototyping
Benchmarking, or generating ideas by comparing specific project practices or product characteristics to those of other projects or products inside or outside the performing organization, can also be used to collect requirements
Approaches to Developing WBSs
Using guidelines: Some organizations, like the DOD, provide guidelines for preparing WBSs
The analogy approach: Review WBSs of similar projects and tailor to your project
The top-down approach: Start with the largest items of the project and break them down
The bottom-up approach: Start with the specific tasks and roll them up
Mind-mapping approach: Mind mapping is a technique that uses branches radiating out from a core idea to structure thoughts and ideas
The WBS Dictionary and Scope Baseline
Many WBS tasks are vague and must be explained more so people know what to do and can estimate how long it will take and what it will cost to do the work
Creating the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
A WBS is a deliverable-oriented grouping of the work involved in a project that defines the total scope of the project
WBS is a foundation document that provides the basis for planning and managing project schedules, costs, resources, and changes
Decomposition is subdividing project deliverables into smaller pieces
A work package is a task at the lowest level of the WBS
The scope baseline includes the approved project scope statement and its associated WBS and WBS dictionary
Suggestions for Improving User Input
Develop a good project selection process and insist that sponsors are from the user organization
Have users on the project team in important roles
Have regular meetings with defined agendas, and have users sign off on key deliverables presented at meetings
Deliver something to users and sponsors on a regular basis
Don’t promise to deliver when you know you can’t
Co-locate users with developers
Using Software to Assist in Project Scope Management
Word-processing software helps create several scope-related documents
Spreadsheets help to perform financial calculations, weighed scoring models, and develop charts and graphs
Communication software like e-mail and the Web help clarify and communicate scope information
Project management software helps in creating a WBS, the basis for tasks on a Gantt chart
Specialized software is available to assist in project scope management